Color Systems

Prepared by Sheila Asato, M.A.©2012

http://www.gutenberg-e.org/lowengard/index.html

http://www.colorsystem.com/

COLOR SYSTEMS

“A successful color ordering system requires an appropriate shape, the correct number of colors to include, and the proper medium in which to present its information.” - Sarah Lowengard

Ancient systemsAll harmony is in accordance with the relationships between earth, planets and stars.

What is the simplest design that can communicate a relationship among colors?

Color Tables & Graphs

Richard Waller's graph-like table of "simple and mixed colors”

“Presented in 1686, at the Royal Society of London

Schäffer's SystemColor samples of the seven simple and natural principal colors

Chromatic Triangle

George Lichtenberg, Color triangle, ca. 1775

Mayer-style Dye TriangleMayer-style triangles continue to be used as tools to test colors and match shades for pigments and dyes. This example calibrates red, yellow and blue shades of Irgalan dyes, a type of synthetic dye often used by art conservators, but any three colors might be combined in this system.

COLOR WHEELSWhat is the shape of this problem?

Isaac Newton

L'Optique des couleurs (1740), Castel

Newton’s Color Wheel

C.B.’s Circle

Schiffermüller's wheelBlueYellow CarmineSea GreenOrange YellowViolet redGreenFire redViolet blueOlive greenRedFire blue

Moses Harris

Johann Heinrich Lamber

Philipp Otto Runge

Michel Eugène Chevreul

Munsell’s Color Tree

RGB and CMYK